Soup Making ToolsSix Tools to Bring Your Soups to Life

Soup making tools are the instruments you'll use to transform fresh, high-quality ingredients into fine, sumptuous soups.

Soup making is an art. And just as traditional artists require specific tools and materials to bring about their creations, you, as a soup maker, will also require specific tools to bring your art to life.

1. Cutting Boards Make food preparation easier and safer

Cutting boards are important soup making tools because they help you work more safely with your knife. They are designed to protect you and your kitchen surfaces from knife cuts.

Cutting boards are produced from a variety of materials, but wood provides one of the softest and most desirable cutting surfaces.

By cutting on a wooden surface, your knife will stay sharper longer and the blade is less likely to slip and cause you injury. Many cooks also find that cutting on wood delivers the most pleasing sound to the ear.

Plastic boards are dishwasher safe which means they are very good choices for use when cutting raw meat. Some cooks shy away from wooden and bamboo boards as they are the most difficult to sanitize and require occasional maintenance.

2. Chef’s Knife Helps you chop and mince like a pro

The chef's knife could easily become one of your favorite soup making tools. Besides being great for your soup preparation needs and making garlic skin easy to peel, its wide blade makes gathering and transferring what you have chopped easy and efficient.

When shopping for a chef’s knife, look for one with an 8-inch high-carbon stainless steel blade. A good blade will be thin and gently curve to a tapered point.

The curved edge will help you use the rocking motion used by chef’s when they mince and chop. And its tapered point is useful for piercing squash and other foods with thick skins.

One more thing. Try grasping different handles and select the ones with the most comfortable fit for your hand.

5. Blender or Immersion Blender Puréed soups made easy

When making puréed soups, you may choose between a countertop blender or an immersion blender.

Both devices work well, however, a countertop blender is more effective when you want to achieve a fine, smooth purée. But when you want your soup a little chunkier, an immersion blender is the perfect choice.

When using a countertop blender, the soup is processed in small batches and placed in a large pot to be reheated.

The major benefit of a hand-held immersion blender is that you can blend or purée the soup directly in the same pot. This eliminates the need to work in small batches and makes clean-up faster and easier.

6. Ladle Helps you serve your soup with style

The most beautiful and best way to serve your masterpiece is with a ladle.

A ladle is a large, long-handled serving spoon with a cup-shaped bowl. Not only does it keep your fingers away from hot soup, it also helps highlight the beauty of your ingredients as you gracefully serve them.

A handle that is 10-12 inches in length is typically a good choice, as it isn't so short that it slips into the pot nor is it so long as to be unwieldy. You may also find that a slight crook or offset of the handle from the bowl helps reduce spills.

Once you have considered these factors, choose the ladle that feels best in your hand and is the most appealing to your eye.

Start with these six basic tools, and you’ll set the stage for outstanding soups.